Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has restarted the production of iPhone 4, but only for three markets namely India, Indonesia and Brazil, claims a report from economictimes.indiatimes citing three senior executives familiar with the matter. The iPhone maker is hoping to capture the market from rival Samsung, who is riding high on the success of its Grand and S4 Mini model. The move would help Apple to gain market share in these markets, where consumers generally prefer not so premium phones.
iPhone 4 popular in India
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 4 has been a hit for Apple in India primarily due to its lower price band. According to Himanshu Chakrawarti, CEO of The Mobile Store, India’s largest cellphone retailer, the device is regaining popularity, and “now require some promotion from Apple and can potentially become one of our top-selling models like before.”
Though iPhone 5S priced at Rs 53,500 (approx $900) has been a success, it is not a volume driver. The iPhone 5C though relatively cheaper failed to garner significant sales in India. Since iPhone 4S was selling at Rs 26,500 (approx $450) under exchange, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) felt a need to re-launch a cheaper version, therefore, it restated iPhone 4 late last month at Rs 22,900, which can now be bought for Rs 20,000.
Foxconn doing the manufacturing
Fresh iPhone 4 stocks that have reached retail stores in the past 10 days bear a manufacturing date of December 2013. Some of the stores have pointed that the new stock arriving next week, would have a manufacturing date of January. Though the exact production volume of the iPhone 4 could not be ascertained, experts feel that around 50,000-60,000 devices came to India, in the first phase.
The move marks the first incident, where Apple, which is known for its new design and technology, has revived the production of a discontinued model. According to the report, Apple’s Chinese supplier Foxconn has restarted the production of the iPhone 4 for just three markets. The move also reflects the growing importance of the Indian market, where the iPhone maker witnessed a slower growth, in the last quarter.
In October last year, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) discontinued the iPhone 4 from all the markets; after the launch of the latest models – the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.
